Meet Angela Kroeger

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Angela Kroeger a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Angela, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

For me, creativity stays alive by staying curious. I see designs everywhere, in animals, music, mythology, even in dreams, and I try to protect that sense of wonder. Shifting mediums also keeps me fresh if I get stuck.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m the founder and jewelry designer of House of RAVN, a fine jewelry brand based in Los Angeles. My work always begins with a vision, an emotion or a gemstone that inspires me to get to my bench and start carving. That carving process is at the heart of what I do; it’s slow, meticulous work that gives each piece its own life and presence.

My husband, Mike, is a gemologist, and together we source diamonds and rare gemstones to complement the designs. For me, the magic lies in balancing that vision with the materials themselves—melding imagination, carving, and stones into something that feels alive.

Right now, I’m most excited about my chess collection, which I’ve been carving for the last few years. Each piece has its own character and story, almost like it’s stepped out of a mystical world. The Bishop is nearly complete, and once I carve the Rook, the set will finally come together.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

From a young age, I was enchanted by jewelry boxes filled with treasures my grandmother and great aunt collected from around the world. Gems felt like portals—millions of years old, carrying stories and histories within them. That sense of magic and mystery never left me, and it continues to fuel my fascination with mythology, animals, and otherworldly realms.

The second piece was carving. Over the years I fine-tuned the ability to move between sculptural, organic forms and the meticulous precision of fine details. Carving became my language—it’s how I bring the visions I see in my mind into reality.

And finally, community. Having the right mentors and finding a master stone setter who could work in old, traditional ways gave me the support to fully realize my visions. None of this happens in isolation—you need the people around you who can see and share in what you’re building.

For anyone starting out, my advice is: protect your imagination, master your craft, and seek out the people who inspire and challenge you. Jewelry isn’t just adornment—it’s story, history, and mystery brought into form.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I get overwhelmed, which happens all the time, I step away and change mediums. If I’ve been carving, I’ll move into painting or drawing. Sometimes the creativity comes in waves, it ebbs and flows, and then it can disappear. You can’t force it back by pushing harder.

When that happens, I shift my focus. I’ll work on other areas of the business, like pricing or organizing, or I’ll let myself explore another creative outlet until the inspiration returns. For me, it’s about trusting that it will come back if I give it space, and not trying to control it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://houseofravn.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houseofravn